FIFA to use Goal-Line Technology at Confederations and World Cups

FIFA announced today that Goal-Line Technology will be used at the Confederations Cup this year and the World Cup in 2014

Soccer's world governing body said on its website that the decision was taken after the successful debut of Goal-Line Technology (GLT) at the Club World Cup in Japan last December.

FIFA said the intention is to use GLT in all stadia being used in the two tournaments in Brazil 'pending the successful installation, and pre-match referee tests'.

FIFA confirmed goal-line technology was "successful" at the World Club Cup, although there were no incidents where it had to be used.

It intends to install goal-line technology at all 12 venues at the World Cup.

GoalRef, one of the systems at the World Club Cup, uses a microchip in the ball and deploys low magnetic waves around the goal, while another, Hawk-eye is widely used in cricket and tennis and employs a system of cameras placed around a venue.

The use of goal-line technology, to help match officials in cases where it is not immediately clear if the ball has entered the goal, was approved by soccer's rule-making body, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), last year.

It had previously been rejected by FIFA, which performed a U-turn after the controversy over Frank Lampard's disallowed goal for England in the 2010 World Cup match against Germany.

Replays clearly showed that the ball had crossed the line after bouncing down off the underside of the crossbar, but match officials did not award the goal. Germany, 2-1 ahead at the time, went on to win 4-1.

However, goal-line technology is not favoured by European soccer's governing body UEFA, which instead prefers to employ two extra linesmen, one on each goal line.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has already said that extra linesmen are unlikely to be used at the World Cup.

Many critics think that football should go further and allow the use of video replays to help referees make decisions concerning offside, handball and fouls.

Referees have to make split second judgments with the naked eye while millions of television viewers are treated to slow-motion replays, from different angles, which often show clearly whether the official was right or wrong.